If you’re thinking about moving to an active adult community in the Southeast, and you’re also a huge sports fan, then you most likely already know about the major pro and college sports teams in North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. To help you in your search for the perfect 55+ community, we’ve compiled a list of the communities closest to sports-affiliated cities in the region.
North Carolina
North Carolina not only has a bevy of professional sports teams but a lot of sports to watch in general. The Charlotte Motor Speedway is just outside of Charlotte in Concord where NASCAR is in full force. If you’re curious about the history of NASCAR, the NASCAR Hall of Fame is located in Uptown, Charlotte.
Sticking to the four biggest sports leagues in the country, Charlotte is home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets as well as the NFL’s Carolina Panthers.
Despite it’s warm weather, hockey is big in North Carolina. When it comes to the thrilling action and occasional fights on the ice, Charlotte is just a couple of hours away from Raleigh, which has its own NHL team, the Carolina Hurricanes.
When it comes to college teams, the University of North Carolina at Charlotte has the Charlotte 49ers, with teams in football, basketball, baseball, and soccer. And let’s not forget about Duke, home of the Blue Devils in Durham and the Tar Heels at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Popular Charlotte Communities
Popular Durham Communities
Popular Chapel Hill Communities
South Carolina
While South Carolina has no major professional sports franchises, the NFL’s Carolina Panthers, the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, and the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes represent both North and South Carolina.
NASCAR has a presence in South Carolina, thanks to the Darlington Raceway in the town of Darlington, which hosts NASCAR’s Labor Day weekend classic and the Southern 500. It also hosts the Whelen, Xfinity Series, and Cup Series races.
As for college sports, football and basketball are big in this state. The University of South Carolina’s Gamecocks in Columbia and Clemson University’s Tigers are big rivals, with their games typically drawing more than 80,000 fans at the schools’ home football games. The rivalry, known as the Battle of the Palmetto State, is legendary.
Popular Columbia Communities
Georgia
Georgia seems to have no end when it comes to the number of sports teams based in the state. From professional to college, this state seems to have it all. In Atlanta alone, the Atlanta Braves, the Atlanta Falcons, the Atlanta Hawks, and the Atlanta United FC cover professional sports teams representing the city. When it comes to college teams in the state the list is so long with many schools to support and teams to cheer on, but NCAA Division I teams are plentiful. Among the most popular teams, are the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in Atlanta and the University of Georgia Bulldogs in Athens.
Popular Atlanta Communities
Tennessee
Tennessee has Georgia beat when it comes to hockey since Georgia’s team, the Atlanta Thrashers, moved to Winnipeg in 2011. Tennessee’s Nashville Predators are fun to watch and are creating a lively fanbase. Nashville also boasts the NFL’s Tennessee Titans. When it comes to professional basketball, Memphis is home to the Memphis Grizzlies.
And as far as college sports is concerned, the University of Tennessee at Knoxville is the largest college in the state. And with its size comes its enthusiastic fans, donning their orange-colored shirts, pants, hats, and anything else they can think of to properly express their loyalty to the Volunteers.
